William J. Lang Land Clearing, Inc. v. Administrator, Wage & Hour Division

**What happened:** William J. Lang Land Clearing, a construction company, was involved in a dispute with the Department of Labor over wage requirements for federally funded projects. When companies work on projects paid for by the federal government, they must follow special rules called "prevailing wage" laws. These laws require employers to pay workers the standard wages that are common in that area for similar work. Lang apparently disagreed with the Department of Labor's determination about what wages they were required to pay their workers on these federal projects. **What the court decided:** The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Department of Labor. The court upheld the Wage Appeals Board's decision that Lang was required to follow the prevailing wage rules as determined by federal officials. The court agreed that the Department of Labor had correctly applied the wage requirements to Lang's federal construction projects. **Why this matters for workers:** This ruling reinforces that companies working on federally funded projects must pay the prevailing wages set by the government, which are typically higher than minimum wage. Workers on federal construction projects can expect their employers to follow these wage standards, and the Department of Labor has the authority to enforce these requirements when companies try to avoid paying proper wages.